Cybersecurity Programs in Texas

Although overshadowed by Silicon Valley, Texas has been a tech innovation hub for even longer. If you doubt it, ask NASA. And the state’s cyber security degrees — both public and private — are proof it’s on an upward trajectory. Already planning on lifting off to Houston or one of the state’s other tech hotspots? Skip ahead to our list of Texas schools with cyber security programs. If not, keep reading.

Rasmussen College

Studying Cyber Security in Texas

If you’re not looking to the Lone Star State for a cyber security degree, you’re not looking. The number one stopping point is the University of Texas at San Antonio. Experts ranked it the nation’s top school for cybersecurity in 2014. But there are strong university-based research and academic programs all over the map, and six of the state’s universities (University of Houston, University of North Texas, University of Texas, UTD, UTEP and UTSA) receive CyberCorps Scholarship funding from the National Science Foundation. Students there are eligible for free tuition plus attractive stipends. Here are a few of the other happenings on Texas campuses:

A lot of Texas’ cyber security activity is clustered in San Antonio. The Department of Homeland Security tapped the University of Texas at San Antonio to lead its Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAO) Standards Organization. In this role, UTSA is responsible for developing a standardized system for private companies and the government to share cyber security info. As if that’s not enough, the U.S. Army Reserve named UTSA a member of the the Army Reserve Cyber Private Public Partnership Program, or Cyber P3 initiative, along with only five other universities. It will be responsible for training reserve soldiers in cyber security.

The University of Texas at Dallas is another major player. It set the goal of becoming a national leader in cyber security back in 2012. Its latest effort is to narrow the gender gap among cyber security specialists; in 2016, it formed the Center for Engaging Women in Cyber Security.

In 2015, the University of Texas at Austin opened the Center for Identity, which looks at identity theft, fraud and privacy in both the virtual and physical realms. It quickly partnered with Equifax, a Fortune 1000 company that sells products designed to keep consumers’ online identity — and, therefore, credit — secure. The Texas Cybersecurity, Education, and Economic Development Council cited the center as a model for schools looking to attract private and federal funding to expand cyber security programs.

Not one to be left behind, Southern Methodist University opened the Darwin Deason Institute for Cyber Security in 2014 after receiving a gift from Deason for nearly $8 million dollars. The next year it announced a strategic partnership with defense technology giant Raytheon, which has two of its five business divisions based in Texas — one in McKinney and one in Austin.

And don’t overlook Texas A&M. As one of just 60 U.S. research universities invited for membership to the Association of American Universities (UT Austin and Rice University are the others in Texas), the school receives more than its fair share of research funding. It’s beginning to spread that toward cyber security programs. In 2016, it gave out $250,000 in seed grants to five cyber security research teams.

Online Cyber Security Programs in Texas

The state of cyber security education in Texas is strong. Whereas Silicon Valley is known generally as the tech capital of the world, Texas has made a name for itself by carving out a niche in cyber security, with UTSA leading the way. Thanks to Texas’ foresight in 2011, when it created the Texas Cybersecurity, Education, and Economic Development Council (TCEEDC), other state schools aren’t far behind. Now degrees and certificates in cyber security are popping up across the state’s whopping six public university systems, not to mention state-run technical and community colleges and private universities. Not all of them are available online, but many are.

Here’s an overview of the distance ed cyber security programs you’ll find in college catalogs:

Online Associate Degrees in Cyber Security

Many Texas two-year schools have cyber security associate programs, but as of 2016, most (including Del Mar College, Alamo College and the schools within the Texas State Technical College system) weren’t online. That isn’t to say individual courses toward a cyber security degree aren’t available via distance learning.

For a purely online program, look to the AAS in Information Security from Central Texas College. It’s designed for future security managers and includes an internship, so it’s ideal for students with limited technical experience. Four-year institutions are geared toward baccalaureates and above, but a few offer online associate degrees. South Texas College, for instance, has online Computer Science and Computer Information System associate degrees. However, these basically cover general education and programming, laying the foundation for students to specialize in cyber security later.

Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Cyber Security

None of the state’s major schools run online cyber security baccalaureate programs. Instead, students can enroll in a campus-based program and take any courses toward the degree that are offered online.

Online Master’s Degrees in Cyber Security

The master’s degree level is where online programs start becoming more plentiful. That’s where two of the major university systems, Texas A&M and University of Texas, have focused their distance learning efforts. Unfortunately, they haven’t put their cyber security programs online yet.

One public school with strong online offerings is Sam Houston State University. Its MS in Information Assurance and Security takes students with strong technical backgrounds and gives them the skills to become security pros for businesses or government agencies. And its MS in Digital Forensics is for computer science or criminal justice majors who want to synthesize the knowledge from those two fields into one degree.

The private universities are really leading the way in terms of online cyber security graduate programs. SMU is a highly regarded school with online master’s degrees in the discipline — two of them. Students can choose between an MS in Computer Science (Security Concentration) and an MS in Security Engineering. The former is for high-level programmers. Students admitted to the latter can’t be slouches in this regard, but considering the title, their coursework is much narrower in focus than the CS degree.

The Master of Science in Information Systems and Security (MS-ISS) at Our Lady of the Lake University is a one-year program that gives students tons of practice with database management, systems analysis, network security and information assurance. The short timeframe for completion is ideal for current IT pros looking to move into a security role at their organization, and the program is designed to give students an edge when applying to posts with federal agencies. Students who have a bachelor’s in a degree outside the computer science sphere can apply as well, but they must first complete a semester-long Cyber Security Boot Camp, which covers programming, networks, databases, systems design and basic security concepts.

Online Certificate Programs in Cyber Security

Certificates come in both undergraduate and graduate forms. And Texas students have strong options thanks to a proliferation of online programs at a few public schools.

For undergraduate certificates, Central Texas College is the best place to look, as it has one of the most comprehensive catalogs of exclusively online certificate programs in the state. Students can become an Information Security Specialist in less than a year, with the undergrad program preparing them for CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA Network+ exams.

For graduate certificates, Sam Houston has the most offerings. Its Cyber Security certificate is for IT professionals in charge of critical infrastructure. The Data Assurance certificate explores security concerns relevant to database administrators. And its certificate in Digital Investigation is meant for criminal justice workers with a background in computer science.

Cyber Security Scholarships in Texas

Cyber security falls under the group of disciplines known as STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It’s a major focus for schools and state governments looking to recruit and retain a highly skilled workforce. Recruitment starts with scholarships. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, for instance, provides community and technical colleges with funding for the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (T-STEM) Challenge Scholarship. It’s intended for STEM majors who graduated high school with a 3.0 or better and continue that mark during college.

Here are some school-based awards that are more specific to cyber security, or at least to computer science:

Sam Houston State University

Mohamed Ahmed Noman Endowment: Cyber Security students with a 3.0 GPA or higher are automatically considered for this award, which varies depending on available funds.

San Antonio College

Cheryl Sanchez Scholarship: Computer Science and IT majors from Bexar or its surrounding counties have their own scholarship. To qualify, they must earn a 2.5 GPA.

Southern Methodist University

Lyle School of Engineering scholarships: The Lyle School of Engineering gives scholarships to Computer Science majors who apply for admission by January 15th. Awards go to first-year students with impressive high school credentials and can be renewed each year provided the recipient maintains a 3.0 GPA.

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

John D. Fernandez Endowed Scholarship in Computer Science: There are multiple criteria for this award: Students must attend full time, earn a 3.5 GPA, graduate in the 96th percentile of their high school class, have financial need, and be a first-generation student from Nueces, San Patricio, Bee, Live Oak, Jim Wells, Refugio, Aransas or Kleberg.

The University of Texas at Austin

INFOSEC Scholarship for Service (SFS): Enrollees in UT’s Certificate in Information Security program can get a full scholarship plus stipend. They’ll have some obligations to the federal government, which funds the award, but it’s worth it because they’ll transition into a government internship after graduation.

University of Texas Computer Science Scholarship: UT’s Department of Computer Sciences gives out several hundred thousand dollars in scholarships each year to full-time undergraduates with strong academic credentials, exceptional extracurricular participation and demonstrable financial need.

Lars Magnus Ericsson Graduate Fellowship: Full-time graduate students in a computer science discipline with 9 credits under their belt can compete for a $2,000 fellowship, which is awarded based on GPA, research and the quality of coursework.

UTD Cyber Security Scholarship: Senior undergraduates, grad students and PhD candidates can apply for full tuition and stipends to attend Cyber Security and Information Assurance programs.

The University of Texas at El Paso

UTEP CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Students enrolled in the MS in Software Engineering or PhD-level computer science programs should apply for the full scholarship and stipend that come along with the CyberCorps program. After graduation, they’ll be expected to work for a government agency in a cyber security role.

The University of Texas at San Antonio

Boeing Scholarship: Though any undergrads or graduates from the College of Business can apply, Boeing prefers to give this award to students interested in aerospace, defense and/or cyber security. Awards go to full-time students who overcome economic disadvantages to excel academically.

Enterprise Architecture Scholarship in the College of Business: Undergrad and graduate Information Systems and Infrastructure Assurance majors with at least two years of higher education completed can apply for the Enterprise Architecture Scholarship, provided they are enrolled full time, have a 3.0 and show financial need.

NSF Scholarship for Service: Full-time undergrads and graduates doing Cyber Security coursework can get two years of full funding (plus considerable stipends) to complete their program. Recipients must work after graduation for a government agency.

Cyber Security Events in Texas

Cyber Security Meetups & Communities in Texas

After spending so much time in front of a screen, it can be nice to meet peers in the real world. Texas cyber security pros and hackers have several places to grab a beer and talk shop after work or class. Here are six communities from across the state:

Dallas Business & Tech Industry Learners: This is an active Meetup for a broader audience, so expect to get invites to a lot of virtual and in-person seminars outside of cyber security. That’s intentional. The group also schedules regular happy hours with the goal of letting members network across skill sets.

NCC Group Security Open Forum – Austin: NCC is a quarterly forum for Austin area engineers and technical managers to hear the latest research on topics such as reversing, secure development and cryptography.

Cyber Security Conferences & Workshops in Texas

You can increase your knowledge and skills year-round in Texas. Three of SANS Institute’s favorite training spots are in Texas: It holds cyber security workshops on different topics throughout the year in Austin, Dallas and Houston. Texas is also a popular stopping point for big conferences. Recent events include USENIX Security Symposium 2016 in Austin and the 2016 ISSA International Conference in Dallas. And some conferences remain in the Lone Star State year after year, including:

Cyber Security for Critical Assets USA: Academics and energy, water and aerospace industry leaders meet in Houston for two days to discuss how to avoid supply chain and infrastructure risks posed by security vulnerabilities.

Cyber Security for Oil & Gas Summit: Notice a trend? Also in Houston, the Annual Cyber Security for Oil and Gas Summit convenes the industry’s IT staff for a series of workshops on protecting company data and physical infrastructure.

CyberTexas: Cyber City USA (aka San Antonio) hosts a two-day annual conference that highlights security developments in the state and encourages job creation in the field. Participants can choose among panel discussions and presentations from multiple tracks .

InfoSec Southwest: Austin’s annual information security and hacking conference is open to anyone who wants to learn more about industry issues. To keep it fun and keep you networking, event organizers schedule pub crawls, scavenger hunts and capture the flag competitions.

Security BSidesDFW: Kind of like TedX for cyber security, BSides is a locally organized “unconference” that attracts information security professionals who want to discover and discuss security issues that aren’t yet on anyone’s radar. This one’s in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that the market for cyber security experts isn’t saturated, even though it already has the third most jobs in the field of any state. It ranks Texas ninth in terms of projected job growth for information security analysts, with 320 new jobs expected to open up every year. A report from Burning Glass got more specific. It ranked Dallas fifth in the country in 2014 with 8,694 cyber security job postings. Though well behind with 2,937 posts, Austin ranked first in the country for job growth in the sector from 2010 to 2014, more than doubling its cyber security workforce in that period.

What industries might graduates land in? With San Antonio earning both the Cyber City USA and Military City USA monikers, it’s a good bet they can find work in defense industry. The military has located cyber security units in San Antonio to scoop up local civilian graduates. The Air Force Cyber Command, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, Joint Information Operations Warfare Center, Air Force Electronic Warfare School, and Air Force Cryptologic Systems Group are all based in the city.

Want something more corporate? Texas has the second most Fortune 500 companies of any state with 54, and even companies headquartered elsewhere (like Hewlett Packard and Lockheed Martin) employ large workforces in the state. One of the biggest names in Texas business is telecommunications behemoth AT&T, but remember that oil companies, including Irving-based Exxon, are warming to cyber security projects. Last, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines keep more than hangars in the state — their operations are based there. With most airlines now investing heavily in cyber security, the presence of two aerial giants bodes well for new graduates.

Cyber Security Salaries in Texas

Texas is a great place to land for work. Dallas ($117,890 in 2016) and Austin ($110,190) rank fourth and seventh, respectively, for information security specialist salaries (adjusted for cost of living). But don’t neglect jobs elsewhere in Texas. The state’s cost of living is considerably lower than the national average, in part because of cheap oil prices and the lack of a state income tax.

All Cyber Security Programs in Texas

Below are all the matching programs we found in our directory, from 24 Texas schools.